55 Tips to Get Your Baby Sleeping Through the Night

As a mother of a little boy, I’m keenly aware of how difficult it some-times is to get your child to sleep through the night. Or sometimes, the problem is that I can get him down, but he simply won’t go out cold. But I’m going to share with you the best 55 tips for getting your baby to sleep through the night so that you can get a good night’s sleep yourself!

Do you have issues with your child waking up throughout the night? Take heart. All parents experience rough patches with their baby. Each child is different and what works for one baby isn’t going to work for another. Rest assured that one of these awesome 55 tips is going to work for you, helping you to establish an ideal bedtime routine.

There will be some sacrifice involved in order to achieve a perfect night’s sleep, but it’s going to be well worth the effort! Be sure to first check and see what the underlying causes of your child’s sleep patterns are, such as colic or digestive issues which make sleep-time quite difficult for your child. Also, if your child suffers from allergies, this could be another big issue keeping them up.

Below we’re going to explore the very best ideas that mothers swear by to help your baby fall asleep through the entire night, or at least long enough for you to get enough sleep. Are you ready for the best sleep of your parenting life? Let’s get started.

#1 Be Realistic!

At the end of the day, you have a beautiful, lively baby that is trying to figure out how to be in the world, and every baby has sleep problems. Don’t expect to get a solid night’s sleep when your baby is new to the world. When you prepare yourself mentally to get up through the night, your attitude is going to be more positive, making the experience easier for both of you.

#2 Get your baby checked

There could be underlying medical reasons why your baby isn’t sleeping well, so it’s important to get your child checked for tummy aches, ear infections, fever, or digestive problems. When you rule out medical reasons for sleepless nights, then you can start to explore lifestyle tips that can make a real difference.

#3 Feed your baby a light meal before sleeping

With a full belly of food, your child will feel satisfied and will sleep better. Consider something like warm milk and baby cereal, or a formula/breast milk for newborns. No one can sleep well on an empty tummy, and neither can your baby.

#4 Use the bedroom only for night sleep

Make sure that naps happen at the right time and in the right place. Use the bedroom only for nighttime sleeping, so that the child can learn that that’s the place to have a full night’s sleep, as opposed to just a short spell of sleeping, or light sleeping. After a 45 minute nap, be sure to wake them up, so they don’t go out for too long.

#5 Is it too quiet?

A small white noise machine is going to help your baby sleep better. Mothers falsely assume that their child needs perfect quiet, but actually, a little noise like the hum of a humidifier or fan is going to help the baby sleep more soundly.

#6 Stop the blame game

New mothers are hard on themselves, but don’t fall into this trap! If your baby isn’t sleeping well, it’s not your fault. Some babies sleep better than others, and when they’re going through a rough patch, take heart that it’s only going to last for a little while.

#7 Use a stuffed animal or soft blanket

Use a baby-proof toy or a soft blanket to comfort your child in their crib. When they feel that security and warmth, they’re more likely to sleep soundly. There are tons of fun videos online that show you how to even make your own! With a little experimentation, you can find the toy that your child loves best.

#8 Pay attention to the noise level

You don’t need to keep the house perfectly quiet when you lay your baby down to sleep. When you do this, each little sound is going to wake your child up. Instead, keep the noise level normal while they’re napping, and also quiet at night.

#9 Embrace swaddling

Your baby may not sleep well if they’re wearing loose clothing when they sleep. Babies love to be swaddled, so be sure to wrap them up tight. Swaddling helps the child feel safe and secure, and they’re sure to get a better night’s sleep.

#10 Dim or dark?

Even a little light in the room is going to disrupt your child’s sleep patterns. That’s why it’s important to keep the room as dim as possible. Make the night lighting and daylighting as distinct as possible so that your child knows when it’s time to sleep through the night.

#11 Put your partner to work

When your baby is getting up throughout the night, you shouldn’t be the only one that does all the work. Take turns tending to the baby, so that your partner has an equal opportunity to care for the child. You can also select which nights of the week your partner tends to the child, and which nights it is your job.

#12 There’s no need for a regimented sleep schedule

It never works. A regimented sleep schedule will not ensure that your child sleeps soundly. You’re going to need to always adapt and be flexible, because some nights your child will be sick, have bad dreams, or be too hot or cold to sleep soundly.

#13 Find your bedtime routine

Creating a nice bedtime routine will help to prepare your baby for sleep. A nice warm bath is the best way to calm your child down and lull them into a good night’s rest. Try to give your child a bath a half hour before their bedtime. Just like adults have a bedtime routine that they like, children can develop a routine that helps them to sleep and feel comforted. will help to prepare your baby for sleep. A nice warm bath is the best way to calm your child down and lull them into a good night’s rest. Try to give your child a bath a half hour before their bedtime. Just like adults have a bedtime routine that they like, children can develop a routine that helps them to sleep and feel comforted.

#14 Find a fun nightlight

When you use an entertaining nightlight, it can help your child to fall asleep without you having to do all the work. Find something that is not too bright, but still emits enough light for your child to see. There are tons of lights online with many different fun characters that children find entertaining and amusing. Select something that fits with the decor of their room, if you can.

#15 Keep in mind this is temporary

Sleepless nights don’t last forever. When you realize this, it will help you to hunker down and do your best, and have the right, positive attitude. Your child will eventually sleep without any fuss. Someday you will look back on the time when your child had difficulty sleeping, and it will seem like it was long, long ago!

#16 Your baby will let you know when they’re tired

If your child becomes cranky, rubs their eyes, or yawns, it’s a signal that they’re ready to sleep. Keep in mind that your child will sleep better when they’re tired at night. Make sure your child is active during the day and has lots of play time because this will make them more tired by the end of the day.

#17 Don’t hold your child while napping

You may want to hold them in your arms, but this is just creating a bad habit. Eventually, they’re not going to be able to sleep unless they’re in your arms. It may be hard to do at first because you want to hold your beautiful child when they’re sleeping, but it’s important to not get in the habit.

#18 Draw a bath

As we mentioned earlier, a nice warm bath sends a message to your child that it’s time to become sleepy. Make sure that the bath is a quiet experience, as well. Make sure that you buy baby-friendly bathing products so that you treat their delicate skin correctly. Sometimes babies are sensitive to certain fragrances and ingredients.

#19 Limit naps

You want to limit the number of naps throughout the day because it will make them sleepier at night, which is a good thing. With time, you’ll be able to figure out how many naps during the day are appropriate so that your child can sleep soundly at night. If your child has had a particularly tiring day, then feel free to give them an extra nap and they should still be able to go down at night.

#20 Change their diaper before sleeping

This will ensure a better night’s sleep, and you can increase the effect by giving them a special nighttime diaper which will hold more mois-ture for longer.

#21 Experiment with room temperature

Some babies like warm air, and some like it cooler. When you incorporate a humidifier you can more easily test what works for your baby. Use the thermostat in your home and jot down what temperature the baby sleeps best at. It really is like a science, and eventually, you discover the perfect temperature. Keep in mind that if your child is sick or has a fever then you’ll need to adjust this temperature for the most comfort.

#22 Sleep when your baby does

It’s not recommended that you sleep in the same bed as your baby, but you can put them down in a room where you’re sleeping as well. This helps to calm the child. There are a number of videos online that show you how to properly co-sleep with your child. Putting them in bed with you is dangerous, but you can buy a crib that attaches to the side of your bed so that you can still have the baby nearby.

#23 Experiment with noise levels

Similar to temperature, sometimes a baby sleeps with a little more background noise in the house, and sometimes they don’t. If the TV is on, experiment with what level of volume your child sleeps best with.

#24 Move things around

Sometimes the baby just needs a little change of scenery. Consider it baby feng shui. Move the crib to a different spot in the room and see if your child sleeps more soundly. Sometimes the baby likes to be next to a window, but other times this is too much stimulation. Keep moving things around until you find the proper configuration.

#40 Switch it up

Not every routine suit every baby. When you experiment with your nighttime routine, you have a better chance of finding the one that really works for your child.

#41 Sleep training

With sleep training, you lay the baby down before they’re fully asleep, and even if they begin to cry, you give them a few minutes to calm down. This teaches your child to understand that it’s time to go to bed.

#43 It’s all about consistency

#44 Make space work for you

If you’re getting up a lot during the night to tend to your child, be sure that space is set up to help you tend to your baby. Put diapers and baby wipes in a location that is easy to get to in the dark, and keep burp cloths nearby during feeding time

#45 Work on your feeding schedule

When your child is on a feeding schedule throughout the day, it’s going to ensure that they sleep better at night. When feeding and sleeping are like clockwork, your child is going to get in the habit of sleeping better.

Everyone has an opinion when it comes to co-sleeping, but it’s best to do some research and figure out what works best for both you and your child. Follow your instincts and do a little testing to see what is the optimal situation for your baby.

Have a positive attitude, smile at your baby when you bathe them and sing pretty lullabies. This will make sleep time a happy time, and something that is not threatening. When you do this, your baby will come to enjoy the sleep routine and will feel more secure throughout the night.

#48 Room decor

When the baby’s room is decorated in a soothing style, it teaches them that that space is where they can sleep and feel safe. Consider painting the walls with soothing colors, such as light blue or soft green. These hues are naturally calming.

Sometimes you’ll hear something on the baby monitor, such as your child moving or lightly crying. Give it a beat to be sure that the child is indeed awake and calling out for you. If they’re having a dream and making noise, then you don’t want to wake them.

#50 Talk to other parents

Be sure to ask parents what has worked for them. Even though their tips might not work for your baby, it’s important to learn as much as you can from your fellow parents, because often they have special hints that could work for you.

#51 Read-up

There are tons of parenting books on the market, and these can really help in terms of learning tricks from the professionals. It’s best to read these books before your bring your baby home so that you’re armed with knowledge.

#52 Ask your pediatrician

Along with reading books, you can also ask your doctor for tricks that they have discovered in their practice. There are always new studies being conducted which bring to light new findings and discoveries.

#53 Breathe

When all else fails, be sure to have a breath and a sense of humor. Some babies are just going to be fussy, no matter what. When you breathe and center yourself, you’ll realize that the moment will pass, and your child will grow out of it.

#54 Try to nap with your child

When your baby is seriously keeping you up at night, it means that you’re not getting enough sleep as well. It might be tempting to try to get things done during the day while your child naps, but it’s important that you get enough rest as well.

#55 Fresh air and exercise

If you’re exercising during the day, be sure to bring your baby with you. A nice walk in the park with the stroller will do wonders for both of you, as you’re getting fresh air and experiencing the outdoors, which aids in overall well-being.

Conclusion

Now you have 55 wonderful tips on how to help your baby sleep better at night! Keep in mind that sleep is a habit, and when you start building the right routine, you’re creating a ritual that will help your baby sleep soundly.

Don’t be frustrated if the routine that once worked stops working. Your child will continuously change as they grow. This is natural. It’s important that you be flexible, caring, and positive with your child. If they sense your frustration, they’re going to be more frustrated as well.

What I know for sure is that many of these tips completely changed the way that I put my child to sleep, and ultimately, has changed the way that I sleep as well, for the better!

Did you find this article helpful? If so, be sure to share it with a friend, or add comments at the bottom to spark a conversation. As parents, there’s nothing more important than sharing with one another so that we can all go on this remarkable journey together!

Megan Ann

Welcome! My Mom's Best Blog. My name is Megan Ann and I'm chatting about parenting, family friendly activities, yummy recipes, family travel, and living a life full of love and laughter. I love to share with other women like me how to find the beauty in life among the piles of dirty dishes and daily life stresses of raising a family. Thank you for reading. View all posts by Megan Ann →